Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Free Trade and a Misty Moon

Popular entertainment is filled with heroes, superheroes, and messiahs, none of whom are in business.

Outside of the novels of Ayn Rand, the closest characterization I've been able to find of the businessman as hero is in the character of a smuggler -- a not wholly inappropriate place.

The lines below come from the only popular song to celebrate free trade. They are sung by Irish smugglers in the musical Eileen. The title of the song is "Free Trade and a Misty Moon."

While Heaven sends us a misty moon,
Sure, why not take it as a gracious boon?
If France and Spain have somethin' we can use,
Faith, 'twould be ungracious to refuse!
So, free of tax or duty
We'll fetch ashore our booty!
Let's drink to the mist o'er the moon!

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